The PhD Life Coach

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Dewar from Oxygen Conservation to explore how we can build more positive, motivational environments in academia using insights from sports psychology.We dive into strategies for fostering recovery, supporting each other, and creating climates that inspire students and supervisors alike. Learn how to:Create a supervisory relationship that cares for both the people involved AND academic performanceBoost autonomy, competence, and connection in your academic life.Apply proven techniques from sports psychology to reduce stress and enhance performance.Whether you’re a PhD student striving for balance or a supervisor aiming to better support your team, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you thrive in academia.🎧 Tune in to discover how you can contribute to something bigger while achieving your personal and professional goals.Links I refer to in this episode Dr Andrew Dewar (LinkedIn) Oxygen ConservationAndrew’s podcast episode – From Hire to High PerformanceRadical Candor by Cal NewportSo good they can’t ignore you by Cal NewportStephen Covey’s Circle of Influence****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, we’re diving into a common trap many PhD students and academics fall into: setting word count goals like “500 words a day” or “6,000 words by next month.” While these goals sound productive, they often oversimplify the complex process of academic writing.I’ll explain why relying on word count as a measure of progress can hinder your motivation and overlook crucial aspects of writing, such as revising, outlining, and refining ideas. Most importantly, I’ll share smarter, more effective ways to track your progress and keep your writing on track without feeling overwhelmed.If you’re struggling to stay motivated with your thesis, dissertation, or academic papers, this episode is here to help you rethink how you approach writing. Tune in to make meaningful progress without getting stuck in the word count trap!Perfect for PhD students, early career researchers, and anyone navigating academic writing challenges.Links I refer to in this episode Why you shouldn’t read when you’re writingHow to plan your academic writing (with special guest Dr Jo Van Every)How to break your work down into chunks****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I answer three thought-provoking questions from PhD students and graduates:Handling Final-Year DisappointmentA PhD student asks how to cope with the sense of disappointment that can arise in the final year when you realise your initial goals and ambitions have had to be scaled back. I explain why this is actually a good sign and how to use this understanding to motivate yourself to move forwards.Staying Motivated Post-PhDCharlotte, a member of my coaching programme, seeks advice on self-coaching as she works on writing papers post-PhD, with no pressing deadlines or external accountability. I explore ways to find intrinsic motivation and structure this next phase of her academic journey.Making the Most of PodcastsSophie enjoys listening to podcasts while multitasking but struggles with taking notes or fully engaging with the content. I offer tips for integrating podcasts into her routine more effectively to maximise their value.This episode is packed with practical advice for navigating common challenges in your academic journey and beyond.Links I refer to in this episode How to go from idea overload to clarity  ****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I share a fresh approach to planning for PhD students and academics that doesn’t rely on perfection. If you’ve ever felt like planning isn’t for you because you “never stick to it,” this episode is for you. We’ll explore imperfect planning: creating flexible time structures that make it easy to pick back up after things go off track.Tune in to learn:Why expecting perfection derails most plansHow to make plans that support your goals without guiltSimple tips for sticking with your goals in a flexible, realistic wayPerfect for anyone balancing research, deadlines, and the unpredictable journey of PhD life!Links I refer to in this episode How to use role-based time-blockingHow to plan when you hate planning ****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Dr. Jessica Parker, founder of MoxieLearn, combines her skepticism and advocacy for AI in academia to offer invaluable insights. She discusses the practical benefits and pitfalls of AI tools for PhD students, emphasizing both enhancement of writing skills and the risk of academic dishonesty. The conversation dives into the role of chatbots in education, promoting metacognition while tackling feedback dynamics. Ultimately, Parker advocates for responsible AI use, highlighting the necessity of maintaining an authentic voice and critical engagement in research.

Feeling overwhelmed by a flood of ideas? Discover a fresh approach to journaling that prioritizes voice recording for spontaneity and clarity. The discussion dives into practical tools, including a voice-to-text system that simplifies capturing thoughts. Collaboration is encouraged, with invitations for listeners to join free coaching sessions. Say goodbye to mental clutter and hello to organized insights!

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you struggle to get back into work after a big deadline? Have issues connecting with your supervisor? Or feel like you don’t even know whether your work is good enough or not? Then this episode is for you! In my second client Q&A episode, I answer three questions from listeners on these topics and give actionable advice if you find yourself in these situations. I even give a little controversial advice to supervisors so make sure you listen out for that too! Links I refer to in this episode What to do if you want more reassuranceHow to manage your supervisor or bossHow to have a great relationship with your supervisorWhat to do and think if you have a toxic relationship with your supervisorHow to improve your writing ****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you make unrealistic plans and get impatient that you’re not progressing more quickly, then this is the episode for you! I’m going to give you specific tips about how to be more realistic and more patient so that you can be a better boss to yourself! I’ll talk about when you need to be realistic and patient, what thoughts will help and what feelings, actions and results we can then generate. If you like it, check out the rest of the five part series where I talk about 8 other qualities – compassionate, curious, strategic, ambitious, intentional, resourceful, encouraging and accepting. These all come from my online course, how to be your own best boss, which you can find on my website if you want more support! www.thephdlifecoach.comLinks I refer to in this episode Why we all need to be more intentional and resourcefulWhy we all need to be more encouraging and acceptingWhy we all need to be more compassionate and curiousHow to be more strategic and ambitious****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It’s a tough world at the moment. I’ve had lots of clients struggling with job insecurity, family or personal health issues, and the direct or indirect effects of all the bad stuff that’s happening in the world right now. In this podcast, I give some ideas about how you can show yourself compassion, decide what (if any) work you are capable of, and how to support yourself through these challenges times. The emphasis is always on compassion - it’s OK to find this difficult. When we can reduce the self-judgment, we can then spend time thinking about how to support ourselves.****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you remember what fascinated you about your PhD topic? Sometimes when we’re stuck in the middle of endless studying it can be hard to recall why we even chose this programme. This week in the podcast I’m talking to Rosa Smith from the Brilliant Club about how sharing your research with schoolkids can inspire everyone involved! Rosa talks about how the Brilliant Club works with less advantaged young people in non-selective, non-feeing paying schools in the UK and improves critical thinking skills, academic performance and university prospects. In addition, we hear about how the PhD student tutors in turn develop their communication skills, organisation, confidence and teaching skills, all while getting to share their research with others. You can find out more about the Brilliant Club here - https://thebrilliantclub.org/****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.